


If You Let Me Stay

by patchworkweddingdress



Category: Outlast (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Normal Life, Eddie is still sick but getting help, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-10-18 02:11:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17572334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/patchworkweddingdress/pseuds/patchworkweddingdress
Summary: There's the Waylon of his past, and there's the Waylon of his present. Two of the same thing cannot exist in the same time, Eddie reasoned, so maybe that's why the Waylon of his past is the best friend he'd always needed, with his gentle touches and reassuring words, while the Waylon of his present is a smart ass hacker whose good looks and angelic voice and presence he can't deny.





	1. Chapter 1

**[Past]**

 

There was the sound of voices shouting, the vase atop the drawer falling and shattering, water spilling on the floor. His blood ran cold, hands clenched around the soft teddy bear his parents gave him as he hid in the walk-in closet, covered with layers of clothes as he shivered in fear. He heard his mother shout, footsteps hurriedly moving away from the room, and then… 

A gunshot, and silence.

He sat still for who knows how long, just holding on to the softness of his favorite toy. He thinks it’s been days, before a door slammed open and voices flooded their home.

“Eddie?! Eddie!”

Something inside him flared with hope, and he ran out of the closet, bear still in hand and tears running down his eyes. He didn’t know how long he ran, but he knew that voice despite being drowned out by others, until he saw _her_.

Aunt Cecil crouched down to welcome him in her arms, tightly wrapping around his small body and ruffling his neat hair. She wailed when he returned the intensity of her embrace, and the distress made him cry harder too.

“Oh, thank heavens you’re safe!”

She pulled back a little to produce a handkerchief, wiping the snot running down his nose. It was ungentlemanly of him to cry in front of a lady, that he knew, but his manners could take the backseat for a moment.

“A-Auntie… Mama?”

His inquiry made her eyes water. “Eddie, your mama… she’s… oh God, I’m so sorry darling…”

He sniffled. “Mama is hurt?”

She nods reluctantly.

“Papa… hurt too?”

She grimaces, but nods again.

“Need hospital,” he cried. “Need doctor, please Auntie! Mama hurt!”

But Aunt Cecil just cried and hugged her tight, rubbing his back just like the way his mother does when he just woke up from a bad dream. He grabbed her shirt and asked for a doctor, because if Mama and Papa are hurt, why aren’t they doing anything?

If Mama and Papa are hurt, then he needs to look after them.

He needs… medicine and soup.

He remembers Nanny Marie, maybe she could teach him how to make soup. And Doctor James Smith from across the town can give him medicine and that thing he uses to listen to heartbeats to make sure he’s okay. He’ll even let him use the needle with medicine if it will help.

He’ll beg his tutor for a few days off until his parents are okay.

Aunt Cecil scoops him up from the floor, and hurriedly exits the house. Maybe they’ll go to the doctor directly instead of calling first.

 

* * *

 

Aunt Cecil did brought him to a doctor, but the doctor examined him instead of his parents. He kicked and screamed and cried for the doctor to look at his parents, but the doctor gave him a sad look before sending them away with a small piece of paper.

They ended up in Aunt Cecil’s house, and at the end of the day he was too tired from crying his heart out. He lied down on the bed and held his teddy bear close, wishing everything was just a bad dream and he’ll wake up to his mother coaxing him out of the bed, to the smell of coffee and his father’s weird but cool smell.

 

* * *

 

The day his aunt dressed him in black and brought him to a small gathering where two large white boxes rest near the altar, where portraits of his mother and father wrapped in white ribbon were displayed, was the day he realized that he’ll never see his parents again.

There’s only so much hurt his heart could take, and as much as he held onto their cold hands, the dead cannot listen to his pleas.

After the blessing, he stood away from the crowd as they lowered his parents under the ground. The bear on his hands felt a little less softer, as if the comfort went away.

A man with golden hair came up to him with a soft smile, crouched down to his level and gently held his hand.

“Are those your parents?” He asked with a hushed voice.

He nodded, looking at the man’s warm, brown eyes.

“I’m sorry,” the man said. “I’m sure they were wonderful people.”

He shrugged and looked down at his hands, currently engulfed in the stranger’s. It reminded him of how big his father’s hands are, holding his as he taught him how to thread a needle and sew patches from scraps of fabric.

“My name is Waylon. I’d like to be your friend.”

 _Friend…_ He didn’t have many friends. His parents were always travelling, and they’ve always brought him on their trips. He did play well with other children, but their times were always short-lived to build a meaningful relationship. The only friend he truly had was the bear his father made for him.

He nodded, and curled his small hands around Waylon’s.

“My name is Eddie.”

 

* * *

 

But like all of his attempts at friendship, it was over before it could really start. Aunt Cecil, teary-eyed and sniffling, called for him to come home (her home, not his home, what would happen to his home after this?). Waylon waved goodbye, and walked back to the crowd.

He didn’t tell his Aunt Cecil about Waylon. He knew about the lessons of not talking to strangers, but Waylon’s calming presence wasn’t setting off any alarms. He didn’t want to be told off for starting a friendship with someone older than him.

They returned to her house, and Aunt Cecil offered her a slice of cake. He remembered his mother’s voice, telling him that cake should be served after the main course.

He accepted the cake anyway.

When night fell, Aunt Cecil showed him his new room. Larger than the one back at home, but less… personal. It made him think of their guest room, and he couldn’t exactly blame the lack of preparation. No one anticipated for this to happen, and he’s too tired to really nitpick. Aunt Cecil brushed his hair and pressed a kiss on his temple before bidding him goodnight, closing the door with a soft click.

Sleep couldn’t come to him fast enough. He tossed and turned on the bed, and ended up leaving the room out of frustration.

He went to the kitchen for a glass of water when he heard a quiet knock on the front door. There’s a stained glass window beside the door, and after a few moments of squinting against the darkness, he recognized the golden hair of the man standing outside.

He looked around to make sure his aunt isn’t there to see him, and tiptoed to the front door, unlocking the latch and swinging it slowly open.

Waylon smiled at him, still wearing the same clothes as earlier. He stepped inside and closed the door, locking it back, before bending down look at him, his hands on his bent knees.

“Are you alright, Eddie?”

He shook his head. “Can’t sleep.”

“Do you want some hot milk?”

“...I don’t know if auntie has milk here.”

“Well, let’s look for some, shall we?”

He felt a bit mischievous, making a trip to the kitchen when the adults asleep. Waylon didn’t find any milk, so he gave him a glass of water instead before ushering him back to the bed.

Waylon sat beside his pillow, running his fingers on his hair. He was humming a song, just like his mother used to do.

He grabbed Waylon’s free hand and held it tight.

“Will you be here again tomorrow?” He asked, yawning.

Waylon smiled and kissed his forehead.

“I’ll be here as long as you need me, Eddie.”


	2. Chapter 2

**[Present]**

 

The bus station was blessedly quiet, as Eddie boarded the vehicle, his luggage clutched closely in his body. There were more old people at this time of the month, but he's guessing it's because he's travelling a week earlier than other students.

His phone vibrated on his pocket, and he fished it out, smiling at the message his aunt left. It's still weird to see Aunt Cecil sending him the latest memes, but the small comfort from the familiarity was undeniable.

He sent back a sticker of an animated cat giving a thumbs up, followed by a quick message of _'take care, and don't spoil Frank'_

Aunt Cecil replied with a string of rolling eyes emoji, which shouldn't be appropriate for someone her age.

Eddie grinned and pocketed his phone. He pulled out a plastic envelope containing the paperwork for his college admission, including the permit for boarding. The instructions to get the key for room 2536 was printed on another paper, and he reread it several times until it was committed into his memory.

He closed his eyes as the bus hummed to life, speeding away from the town he called home, away from his beloved aunt and from the bittersweet memories of his childhood.

 

_“Eddie?” A familiar voice called out, but he knew that if he acknowledged it, he would stop the bus, rush home, and never leave._

 

* * *

 

"Mr. Gluskin?"

Eddie turned to the tall woman on the reception, a ready smile on his lips. She handed over a small envelope to him, returning his smile.

"Sorry for waiting. Here you go! "

"Thank you, have a nice day."

He pushed down and locked the handle of his luggage, untangling the straps from behind, turning it into a gigantic rucksack. He carefully maneuvered up the stairs, reading the numbers on the door until he reached room 2536. He upturned the envelope containing the key, and unlocked the room he would be living in for a whole year away from home.

His stomach dropped as soon as he saw the double deck bed, as well as the two desks adjacent to each other.

Eddie specifically requested a single room for himself, given his… well, his condition. The management probably didn't care much, and with a heavy heart, he trudged inside, already claiming the bottom bunk. He likes to read in bed, and when he went window shopping for course materials, the sheer volume of his textbooks would definitely cause accidents if it fell from the top bunk.

Even if he doesn’t like the idea of having a roommate, he’d be on his best behavior.

First thing first.

He unloaded all of his clothes on the bed, refolding the ones that got wrinkled on his haste and hanging the button ups and blazers. Aunt Cecil gave him a bit of crash course when it comes to typical university academic activities, and with the amount of presentations a student will have to do, he felt confident that he wouldn’t be caught unprepared just in case. 

The closet was big enough to handle his clothes, although he had to fold his underwear and socks into smaller rolls to fit them on the side. He took out his phone and made several notes on what to buy after his therapy. Garbage bags, detergent, slippers, _would it be offensive to hang a curtain around my bed just so I could have privacy?_

He sighed as he tucked his luggage under the bed with his shoes. Two weeks before the start of classes, and he’s already tired.

_Best behavior, Eddie._

He arranged his notebook and pens on the desk closest to the door, when he caught sight of the block of sticky notes he bought on whim.

_Best behavior._

He grabbed a pen and wrote a short message for his would-be roommate, and placed it on the other desk before his nerves ate him. Then he turned around and slipped out of the room, locking the door behind him.

 

* * *

 

 

Eddie left the room with a spring on his step, thanking his therapist with a bright smile. He hasn’t felt this good in a while. Maybe the change in the scenery was what he needed to help with his progress.

From his side, a voice called out. “Hey, Ed.”

He turned and saw Chris Walker leaning against the wall with a wide grin. Eddie snorted and crossed his arms. “Hey stranger. How’s Paris?”

“Had the time of my life, lemme tell you. It’s been a while, Ed. How are you?”

“I’m…” _I’m fine I’m fine I’m fine_ “Good. Starting out college this semester.”

Chris’ eyebrows rose. “Really? Didn’t really peg you to be the school type.”

He raised a challenging eyebrow back. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing bad,” he raised his hands in surrender. “I’d always thought you’d pursue tailoring, you know? Pretty sure those start out with workshops, I don’t know man.”

He let out an amused snort, and listened to Chris talk about his trip abroad while they walk towards the bakery, the familiarity of it adding to his current good mood. He hasn’t seen Chris for almost three months now, and since they have the same doctor and usually have sessions next to the other, he felt the hole in his routine when Chris left for his vacation.

_Predictability._ It’s good to have his routine back in place.

It seemed that Chris was also trying to get back into his own rhythm, and he ended up helping Eddie with buying stuff he still needed for his room. He gave advice when they stopped in front of the exercise equipment store, suggesting a kettlebell if it’s allowed, and a pair of dumbbells as an alternative.

“Whenever I’m stressed, I do some heavy lifting or some other high intensity exercise. Good for clearing out your head.”

Eddie nodded. “I’ll have to ask about the policy for bringing those before I buy. If it’s not allowed I’ll just get a gym membership wherever nearest.”

They ate dinner afterwards, and Chris gently punched his arm. “Good to see you again, man. Good luck on your studies.”

He smiled and returned the gesture. “Thank you. Good luck to whatever you’re doing right now, too.”

It was past seven in the evening when he got back to the dormitory, and the noise in the hallway meant more students have arrived. He made a note to buy noise-cancelling headphones next time, and opened the door to his room.

It took him a long while to realize that there was someone else in there, a guy with golden hair and deep brown eyes, bulky headphones hanging on his neck. They stared at each other without a word, and when Eddie’s brain finally clicked online, his eyes widened and he staggered back.

“Waylon?!”

The man seemed taken aback at his outburst, eyes widening as well. “How did you know- have we met?”

“What?”

“What?”

Eddie gaped at him, before a slither of panic surged up his chest. Suddenly he couldn’t breath, and he ran out of the room, ignoring the worried shout of the other man.

_No no no no no no no_  

_I was doing so well_

_Why did you have to come back?_  

He didn’t know where he ended up, but he immediately took his phone out and pressed the speed dial, the ringing felt like it stretched for hours before the line clicked.

“Eddie?” Aunt Cecil’s voice flooded his senses, and he took hold of this familiarity, this temporary relief. “What’s up-”

“Auntie, Waylon is here.” He didn’t know when he started crying, but hearing his voice break struck another wave of fear in his heart. “W-Waylon is here, I don’t know why but h-he’s back and… and-”

“Hey!”

_Familiar voice, familiar voice_

“Eddie?! What’s going on there?!”

_“I’ll be here as long as you need me, Eddie.”_

_I don’t… need you? Do I need you?_

  
The man from his room was huffing as he stopped near him, his face red from exertion. “What’s your deal, man? Why do you know my name?” When he didn’t answer, the man - _Waylon Waylon Waylon Waylon_ \- walked up to him, his face contorting from annoyance to barely concealed curiosity. “Why are you crying?”

**Author's Note:**

> I wanna link my tumblr but honestly it's a fucking mess so I might make a twitter for my eddway needs, leave your twitter handles on the comments so I can follow you lmao


End file.
